So Travel Market Report rounded up the best bits of advice to selling cruise even better, taking notes from cruise executives gathered at a recent Travel MarketPlace event.

Here are just a few of the ideas they discussed on a panel moderated by TMR’s Anne Marie Moebes.

Narrow your focus

Per TMR, more than 400 cruise ships came online in 2016 and another 26 new ocean, river and specialty ships will debut this year. There’s so many options for cruising, even the most experienced agents will struggle to keep up.

And that means for newbies, the range is overwhelming. So what to do?

“At the end of the day, people sell all kinds of different travel experiences and cruises are just one of those,” said Dana Gain, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Director of Sales for Canada.

The solution for most agents, particularly those new to the industry, is to start small, the panel suggested.

“We talk about a five-by-five focus – pick five suppliers with five products and put your focus on them,” said AmaWaterways Vice President of Strategic Alliances Brenda Kyllo.

That knowledge will give you a good base from which to grow your own database of cruise information.

Sell the destination, not the ship

While a ship can sometimes be what gets a client excited, more often what guests really want is “to be immersed in the destination,” said Jo Lynch, Viking River Cruise District Sales Manager for eastern Canada.

And while the typical cruise shore excursion satisfies a lot of guests, look for more intimate experiences that will offer a better guest experience – and better commissions to boot.

And while the inside of the ship is a big drawcard, don’t forget what they spend most of their time onboard doing – looking out the window at what’s outside!

They look at a cruise as a tour vacation where they only have to unpack once, so TMR suggests that for such a customer, showcase lines that spend more time in port and less time at sea.

Think long term

“What’s important is the listening and understanding,” said Lisa Connell, Royal Caribbean International’s Director of Sales for Canada.

So don’t just stop with price, go beyond and find other ways to satisfy your customer’s overall holiday goals,

Just as you look at a five-year plan for your business, “do the same thing with your client,” she said.

Ask clients where they want to go and what their travel dreams and bucket lists are, and then planning accordingly. Even the most out-there travel dreams can be achieved with the right amount of planning, writes TMR.

SEE WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

http://www.kosherrivercruise.com/ Kate Ostrom

I’d love to visit Sydney via cruise someday. I’m interested to see the best destinations to visit in the city. Adding it on the bucket list. So far, I’ve checked off a river cruise on the Seine and Mekong. The Danube river cruise and Mississippi river cruise was equally interesting.